Method for producing esters of 3-hydroxypropionic acid

Abstract

There is described a method for producing an ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, the method comprising: culturing an Acetobacter lovaniensis bacterium in a growth medium containing phosphate at a level which is more than 1 g/liter, wherein culturing of the bacterium produces the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing an ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, the method comprising:
 culturing an  Acetobacter lovaniensis  bacterium in a growth medium containing phosphate at a level which is more than 2 g/liter and up to 30 g/liter wherein culturing of the bacterium produces an ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and wherein the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid is ethyl 3-hydroxypropionate. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium contains phosphate at more than 10 g/liter. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium contains phosphate at more than 13 g/liter. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium contains phosphate at between 10 and 30 g/liter. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium does not contain an exogenous source of nitrogen. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium does not contain an exogenous source of carbon. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium contains glycerol. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the growth medium has a pH of between 4 and 7. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is cultured at a temperature of between 15° C. and 30° C. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is cultured until the growth medium reaches an OD 600  of between 0.75 and 1.00. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is strain FJ1 having accession number NCIMB 41808. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a step of separating the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from the growth medium. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises a step of converting the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid to 3-hydroxypropionic acid. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises a step of separating the 3-hydroxypropionic acid. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises the step of drying the 3-hydroxypropionic acid. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises a step of processing the 3-hydroxypropionic acid into other chemicals such as 3-hydroxypropionate salts (including ammonium, sodium and calcium 3-hydroxypropionate), 3-hydroxypropionate esters (including methyl, propyl and butyl esters), acrylic acid, acrylates, polyacrylic acid, acrylate polymers, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, acrolein, 1,3 propanediol and Reuterin. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is for producing 3-hydroxypropionic acid, the method comprising:
 culturing  Acetobacter lovaniensis  strain FJ1 having accession number NCIMB 41808 in a growth medium containing phosphate at a level which is between 10 and 30 g/liter, wherein culturing of the bacterium produces ethyl 3-hydroxypropionate; 
 separating the ethyl 3-hydroxypropionate from the growth medium; 
 converting the ethyl 3-hydroxypropionate to 3-hydroxypropionic acid; 
 separating the 3-hydroxypropionic acid; and 
 optionally drying the 3-hydroxypropionic acid. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for producing an ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, the method comprising:
 providing an aqueous medium containing a cell-free extract of an  Acetobacter lovaniensis bacterium cultured in a growth medium containing phosphate at a level which is more than 2g/liter and up to 30 g/liter, wherein the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid is produced in the aqueous medium; and 
 optionally separating the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from the aqueous medium. 
 
     
     
       19. An aqueous medium containing a cell-free extract of an  Acetobacter lovaniensis  bacterium cultured in a growth medium containing phosphate at a level which is more than 2 g/liter and up to 30 g/liter, wherein the cell-free extract produces an ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and wherein the ester of 3-hydroxypropionic acid is ethyl 3-hydroxypropionate.